Methods to Aid Recovery from Training and Racing

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1 Methods to Aid Recovery from Training and RacingDr Gordon Wright Senior ABCC CoachA presentation given at the High Wycombe CC Club Room 26th July 2006.Note carefully: The material presented in these notes is copyright July and must not be used in any form whatsoever without the permission of the author

3 How did he recovery so fast ?Stage he effectively won the Tour de France

4 Recovery IssuesThese notes cover a range of issues concerning recovery after training and tracing.They do not cover every aspect of recovery that you could wish to know about– that’s a substantial text book.But I do cover some important nutritional considerations and also some simple and some very advanced methods of tracking recovery – especially after hard training session or whilst in a heavy period of racing or training.Hopefully most riders will find some value in the information contained here

5 It has to be if we are to improve But recovery is the key to it allTraining and Racingis destructiveIt has to be if we are to improveBut recovery is the key to it all

6 The simple answer to most non injury recovery questions in sport isActive rest and early nutritional supportBut a key issue is ‘How long do you rest’And the answer to that is – it all dependsThese note are intended to provide some methods and insights to these two key areas in particular

7 What do we mean by recovery ? Training and racing disturb the body’s balance with its environment. Fatigue is the result.Recovery restores the body to its previous conditionFurther recovery leads to ‘overcompensation’We are stronger and faster the next time roundThe process can be summed up in the diagram which follows :-

9 The recovery cycle seen on the previous page could be the result of the recovery froma single training session or the result of a single race.(b) the result of a heavy week(s) of training or racing and the easy period which follows(c) or the result of many weeks, even months, of hard training and racing followed by a complete recovery periodIn fact such short, medium and long term recovery cycles are all occurring simultaneously all the time throughout a racing and training season

10 During the recovery phase there are two crucial periods in the whole recovery process:The Early Recovery Period – the period immediately following the training or racing session. A vital aspect of this period is early nutrition to speed up the start of the recovery processthe Late Recovery Period – this is the period when overcompensation begins to set in. Many riders often do not get to this period - as a result they don’t get the benefit of over –compensation. The reason – they train hard again too soon, because they fear losing form.

12 The remainder of these notes address the two key issues of recovery in the(a) Early Recovery Period and (b) the Late Recovery PeriodThe Late Recovery Period needs a steady nerve and confidence that a loss of fitness will not occur. It is the fear of losing form that will often prompt a rider to train hard again too soon and before full recovery has taken place let along allowing time for overcompensation to take place. To get over this fear objective methods of monitoring recovery are required.Before we look at these issues lets first have a closer look at Fatigue :

13 What is fatigue ? An inability to maintain performance.Body is damaged, various systems are disturbedFatigue can be minor or severe.Fatigue is broadly proportional to load severityFatigue results from both intensity and durationVery intense training and exceptionally long training or racing cause major fatigue.

15 Medium to Longer term fatigue - days to a week +More serious mainly due to persistent over-loading – termed ‘Over-reaching’.Serious glycogen depletionMajor muscle cell damageHormonal disturbanceSerious nervous system disturbance.Seriously reduced energy substratesRecovery -Days if no further racing or hard trainingResults from many successive training and racing bouts with inadequate rest days in the programme –But one masssive overload can start the process

16 More Serious Longer term fatigue - weeks to monthsThe effects often less obvious than shorter term fatigueIts more insidious - it can build up slowly without you realizing it - the end result -serious overtrainingIt can take many weeks even months to recover from serious overtrainingResults from - serious and relentless ‘over-reaching’Some indicators:Low unexplained performance, mood state changes,Irritable, withdrawn, excitable, night sweats, loss ofMotivation, restlessness, aggressivenessDiagnosis can be difficult – hormone changes inblood stream, but not practical for the club cyclist Recovery - can be weeks, months in serious cases

17 Overcompensation - the ‘Rebound Effect’Why is recovery importantFull Performance capability is restored ONLY when fully recovered. As previously seen further recovery time leads to increased performance due to ‘over compensation’ -a ‘rebound effect’ occurs if you have the nerve to wait long enough !Similar ‘fatigue -recovery -rebound’ cycles are occurring all the timeRecoveryOvercompensation - the ‘Rebound Effect’Fatigue

20 Multiple Recovery periodsDoes all the foregoing mean you have to fully recovery after every training session ?The answer is not necessarily. There are times in training when it makes sense to have several quality training session in quick succession. So full recovery is not possible until the sequence is over, BUT then full recovery MUST be allowed to take place.At other times full recovery from a single massive event overload may be very necessary before you can move on. Such overloads might for example be a 12 hour TT , Etape du Tour, or other very hard sportive

21 All these factors help or hinder recoveryRecovery time is related toAge, fitness and geneticsGeneral health statusSleep quality and sleeping patternsGeneral training loadTraining and race patterns -recovery days, easy weeksNutritional habits and status –adequate nutrient intakeLife style, social and work life- stress, + lifes demandsAll these factors help or hinder recovery

22 Inadequate Recovery - Some vulnerable groupsYoung riders - too much too soon – not durableuntil maturityMature highly motivated riders - inadequate rest -don’t know when to stopOlder riders - age related deterioration in recoveryits inevitable but can be slowed downCome back riders - trying to run before they can walkCome back from injury or ill health- you can’t rush things

23 Recovery Strategies – can be based on :Regular Sleep and active rest – frequent recovery ridesNutritional support – need good eating habitsMassage - can be self or professionally appliedHydrotherapy techniques – hot and cold methodsTimed rest and recovery periods – using periodisationNeed a Controlled lifestyle – maybe re-engineeringMonitoring fatigue and Recovery by various methods

24 The Early Recovery Period is improved by :Good Re-hydration with micro nutrientsCarbohydrate intake – 60 to 100 grms in 750 mls waterProtein intake - 1/2 grm per kg of body weightImmediately following racing and trainingThere is a two hour window of opportunity to replenish glycogen stores and start the process of muscle protein re -synthesis - so use this opportunity to speed recoveryAfter this time the process slows down considerably – so you need to get the carbs down as a matter of priority

25 Protein sources are appearing more and more in sports drinksProtein is a key factor in recovery from hard training and racingResearch has shown recovery is improved by :A good protein source immediately after hard training and racing BUT also some protein intake in amino acid form - during the racing and hard training periodsProtein sources are appearing more and more in sports drinks

26 Proteins in food are large complex moleculesBut they can not be used for tissue repair until they have been broken down in the stomach into smaller units called Amino AcidsThese units then have to be recombined in the liver and other organs into the precise protein structure required to repair various parts of the muscles that have been broken down and damaged during training and racingEaten protein

28 Protein SynthesisThe process shown on the previous slide takes some time for completion - certainly several hours at leastSo it makes sense to get the protein into your body as soon as possible after racing and hard trainingBetter still use recovery drinks that have amino acids in them to speed up the tissue repair even faster as you miss out one stage. A Company called ‘All Sports’ have a product called ‘Amino Load’ for this very purpose. ‘CytoMax’ contains some amino acidsRemember the faster you make a full recovery the sooner you can get back to quality training.

29 Energy Drink support to recoveryMany products now on offerSome offer just ‘glucose polymers’ based on Maltodextrin -Maxim was the originalMany now provide ‘add-ins’ minerals, vitamins and some protein as whey or soya protein or ‘free’ amino acids

31 High Quality protein Good after training and racing recovery productREGO RapidHigh Quality protein Good after training and racing recovery productREGO NocteSlow release protein source. Night time recovery - Really ONLY for high performing riders

32 But don’t ignore the cheaper and nearly as effective alternativesIs it essential to buy sports drinks ?They are certainly of significant value but are relatively costlyIf you are a high performer and aspiring to make big improvements then for periods of HEAVY training and racing the investment is almost certainly worthwhileBut don’t ignore the cheaper and nearly as effective alternatives

39 Some take home points so farThink more about what you eat and when you eat itMixed Carbs (simple & complex) immediately after training and racing is essentialNeed Protein or Amino acids in the 2 hour windowNeed extra micro nutrients during hard training periodsEarly Re-hydration essential after all training and racing sessionsMassage optional – useful if done on a regular basisHold cold baths worth thinking about – to reduce inflammationand help flush out debris from damaged tissueRegular sleep essential - find our what is good for you.Frequent Active Rest and recovery days are essential

40 Monitoring recoveryEarly Stage Recovery is often very obvious and you do not need anything very sophisticated to tell you that you are tired - your legs soon tell you.Late Stage Recovery is far more complex. Think about it – when you are almost fully recovered you will feel OK to good and you will want to train again. But you may not have reached the overcompensation stage ! The fact is going on feel alone will not tell you where you are in the Late Recovery PeriodThis is where sophisticated heart rate monitoring can play a very big role

41 Monitoring Recovery - What can be done ?General day by day feel - How do I feel today approachIf in doubt - rest for a day – OK for Early StageWatch resting heart rates - if 8 beats up –maybe tiredif elevated over several days then restRacing and Training Heart rates – if lower than normalit may be an early sign of medium term fatigueUse of Orthostatic Heart Rate Tests – can give deep insight into recovery processes at all stages

42 Advanced Heart Rate MonitoringNew tools and techniques are emerging that can be used to track recovery and give a deeper insight into fatigue and recovery in the recovery cycle.The remainder of these notes focuses on Orthostatic Heart rate tests and heart rate variability methods (HRV). HRV is a new and emerging science as far as sport is concerned and it offers some significant insights into fatigue and recovery.

43 The Ortho static Heart Rate TestThe Orthostatic Heart rate test is a simple test which can give some valuable insights to fatigue and recovery.The basis interpretation of the results on a day to day basis are straightforward, but more advanced interpretation is more difficult and it does need some experience -speak to me for adviceThe test is undertaken by recording the heart rate in the lying position (supine) for between 2 and 4 minutes. You then stand up and continue recording the heart rate for another 2 to 4 minutes. Your breathing rate must be controlled and regular throughout the test.Assuming you are using a Polar heart rate monitor download the data to your PC and the Polar software will display the typical Orthostatic heart rate profile as shown on the pages which follow

44 A typical Orthostatic Heart rate profileA well rested profile of a high performing rider

47 The Central Nervous SystemThe Orthostatic Heart rate profile is determined by the central nervous system (CNS) – more specifically the autonomic division of the CNS.There are two parts to the CNS - parasympathetic which slows the heart rate and the sympathetic which speeds it up. These two are always balancing each other. Lay down the parasympathetic is more dominant. Stand up and the sympathetic part becomes more dominant.Fatigue from racing and training shows up as a serious disturbance to the CNS and the shape of the Orthostatic profile changes as a result. But training affects the parasympathetic and sympathetic parts of the CNS differently and each part recovers at a different rate. The return to a normal orthostatic profile when full recovery has taken place will often reveal these changes.

48 What to look for in the Ortho Static profileA nice sharp spike upwards as you stand upClimb to a new stable balance – the oscillations are normalGood resting HR with some irregularityA quick drop and bottom out

52 6th January 5 day Training Camp - Blue Mountains - AustraliaDay hours hard endurance ridingDay 2 and 3 four to five hours endurance ridingDay one hour Mountain Time TrialDay 5 another 4 hours but steadyOverall - a severe training overloadThis case study demonstrates just how long it can take to achieve full recovery. Riding during each recovery day amounted to one hour at an easy pace. Recovery day by day was tracked using Orthostatic tests as shown :-

67 It took a full five days to fully recover from the Training Camp !Any hard training in that five period would have only delayed the recovery process

68 What if my monitor has no memory, can I do Ortho tests you may askWhat if my monitor has no memory, can I do Ortho tests you may ask. The answer is yes :-Note the peak HRObserve the average heart rates supine and standing

69 Record the following data - day by day :Get to know your own values when you are fully recovered and have no fatigue at allRecord values :Supine =Peak =Standing =Difference (standing – supine) =

73 Wednesday 3rd May 2 days after raceSpike up much improvedRather flat here – delayed fatigue still coming outToo much regularity here Shows lack of nervous system toneWednesday 3rd May 2 days after race

75 Friday 5th May - 4 days after RaceOverall a much better pictureA bit flat here parasympathetic drive still struggling to get back to normalLooking much better here and probably close to normalFriday 5th May - 4 days after Race

76 First day rider reported feeling better on the bike – 5 days later !Slightly elevated But looking betterElevated here - indicates sympathetic drive still dominant over the parasympatheticSaturday the 6th May

77 Wednesday 8th March Indifference ChartWednesday 8th March Indifference Chart. Not fully obvious if fatigue is shown here or not !So where do we go from here ? Look at Heart Rate Variability Data as the next level of analysis

78 Measuring Heart Rate VariabilityThe next level of analysis in heart rate monitoring of fatigue and recovery is to measure the heart rate variability. This is done by recording the time between one heat beat and the next - called R to R data recording. R to R is the time difference in milliseconds between R waves from an ECG trace.These methods take a little while to prepare each day so you will need some motivation and a strong interest to spend the necessary time neededA typical ECG trace is shown on the next page

82 A fatigued athlete has low RR variability a recovered athlete has high RR variabilityR to RTherefore heart rate variability using RtoR values can be used to track recoveryThe more variable the R to R values in an athlete the more conditioned is that athlete

84 Equivalent heart rate in beats per minuteA Typical set of RR data values from a Polar Heart monitorTime between each beat in milli secondsEquivalent heart rate in beats per minuteR to R values from a Polar S810i

85 There are a number of methods of measuring Heart rate variabilityOne is the ‘Poincare Plot’ methodThis is undertaken by plotting a sequence of RR data values against itself but slipped by one place as shown next

88 These values are measures of variabilityMeasures SD1Measures SD2Polar S810i will produce this scatter plot and calculate the variability by the standard deviation scores SD1 and SD2These values are measures of variability

89 Graph of same rider after hard trainingNote the marked reduction in SD1 and SD2 valuesThe Variability in RR data is now markedly reduced and shows the fatigue in the rider

90 Heart rate variability is nowThis rider is arguably not ready for the next hard session until SD1 and SD2 values have returned to resting levelsThat is until RR variability has normalisedHeart rate variability is nowmuch reduced

93 Morning after the 10 mile TTMuch recovered but still not back to normal

94 Tracking DataYou don’t need to do RR data analysis and Poincare heart rate graphs to show that you are fatigued the day after a time trial – you will know that by feel aloneBut if the analysis is undertaken over many days you can track recovery from much harder races and much greater training loadsA more objective and visual method of tracking recovery is available using ‘Poincare Plot analysis’ and it is especially important in the late recovery period.

95 Much of the guess work is removedUsing heart rate variability gives deep insight into fatigue and recovery and provides an objective method of knowing when full recovery has taken place. Therefore it is a valuable tool in the late recovery period.Much of the guess work is removedBut it’s a complex area that’s advancing all the time